Warm greetings to all of you,
It sounds like our blog address was passed around a bit during the past week. If you are new to the blog, welcome aboard. If you would like to have your name added to the list of those notified when there is a new posting, please send your e-mail address to Kathy at seanana49@yahoo.com. Otherwise, check back often as we try to post at least once each week.
Based on the comments we received on the last post, it appears that I may have unintentionally lead many to believe that I am not receiving good cancer care. Nothing could be further from the truth. The radiation oncologists of the Oregon Clinic who operate the Radiation Oncology Lab at Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland are among the best in the nation. Their record of successful outcomes is outstanding. The problem is that the congenital vascular anomaly I have, which has caused the unusual and undesirable side effects, occurs in about one out of every one million births. Given that the odds of encountering that situation in a patient with metastatic prostate cancer makes the odds against ever treating a patient with my condition even greater. If I find any fault, it is with the way my side effects were downplayed until they got so bad I could no longer function. On the other hand, I'm sure it would have been very difficult, if not even more dangerous, to change the radiation plan once it was in place. Perhaps I should have taken a break when it was offered earlier in the process.
It has now been four full days since my last treatment and I am feeling much better. Having the full week off should work wonders and gives me hope for a speedy recovery once the treatments are complete. Kathy and I worked at the townhouse for a couple of hours this afternoon and I still feel pretty darn good. I'm confident that we will be able to develop a treatment schedule that will allow me to receive the remaining ten treatment sessions in my plan while minimizing additional trauma.
Over dinner tonight we each expressed how thankful we are and how important it is to us to continuously feel your prayers and support as we go through the final weeks of this journey together.
Spring is just around the corner.
Shalom,
Barry and Kathy 
Spring is here in Houston...we went for a walk in the park this afternoon and the flowers were amazing. Glad you are healing.
ReplyDeleteAnnabelle, so glad you're out and about and enjoying the great outdoors and the beautiful flowers!
DeleteHi Kathy and Barry,
ReplyDeleteWell cancer truly is the "Emperor of all maladies" and it seems to always be an "adventure" when treating it or trying to control it. There are so many variables, the type of cancer, the cells it effects, the patient's response to the unwanted visitor, the patient/cancer's response to the treatment, etc., etc.. If anything I guess it keeps you guessing and makes you patient and for one thing there is no assuming. So your journey has been an "adventure" with all sorts of surprises but it seems like it maybe getting manageable now that the treatment is been "tweaked" but it surely hasn't been pleasant! Glad you are feeling better and once your treatments start again I hope it is without any surprises. I have not checked your weather but I hope it is a pleasant Spring day for the two of you. Have a great weekend and celebrate the Irish! Jim
Thanks, Jim. Yes, it has definitely been an adventure. We have learned a lot about the disease and about patience. In the not-too-distant-future, I plan to write a post to summarize what we have learned to hopefully prevent others from having to go through this.
ReplyDeleteWe get to celebrate twice this weekend. I saved a side of coho to have for Kathy's birthday on Friday, and, of course, corned beef and cabbage on Saturday. Unfortunately, no Guinness because I'm still taking Vicodin.
Hope the lambing is going well.
Barry
Hi Barry and Kathy,
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that you will be coming home soon and that you are recovering, Barry. And what a bonus to have been able to heal with your dear grandson so near-looking forward to seeing you in Petersburg again!
Sue W.
It will be good to be home. Though, very, very hard to leave the kids! You know how that goes :)
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